Chrysalis
by critterlady
Summary: Tamara becomes more a part of the Avenger's family and eventually, part of the team. Includes all Avengers. Rated T just to be safe. I own nothing in the story but Tamara and her life. 12 Chapters total * Follows "Heart of a Fighter"
1. Tamara's Birthday

Tamara had finally finished all her classes for the day and she was looking forward to going home, not to the apartment where her friends thought she lived, but to the tower. She had finally gotten to where she no longer limped so Happy had no reason to hang around all day. Although she had not finished her classes yet, today was her birthday and she knew how she wanted to celebrate.

When she got back to the tower, she wasn't surprised to find Tony waiting, bouncing around like he did when he was excited.

"Tamara, finally, wait till you see where we're all going out for dinner to celebrate."

"Tony, you promised, my birthday, my way. I want to spend it here, with my family, not surrounded by strangers. I need to get dinner started, and no, you can't help, you make a mess, go bug Bruce."

Tony stuck his lip out in a fake pout but Tamara wasn't swayed, Pepper had taught her how to handle Tony. Finally though, he headed back down to the labs, warning her he would return with her gift at supper. Tamara sighed, she wished they understood why she wanted this to be a quiet birthday, but she hadn't had a real birthday since she was 11. Maybe that was why everyone was so insistent on making a big deal out of it. She pushed thoughts of past birthdays out of her head as she headed into the kitchen.

"JARVIS, where is everyone, it's too quiet."

"Thor will not return from Asgard until later this evening, Pepper is at work, Bruce and Tony are in the labs and the others are out shopping and trying to stay out of your way."

"Are they up to something? Please tell me they're not going over board with gifts."

"I'm not at liberty to say, Miss Potts did insist that they each limit the gifts to no more than 2 items. However, I am aware of some of the items and I believe you will be pleased."

"Thanks JARVIS, any word from Director Fury whether he is coming tonight or not?"

"He sent a message earlier that he would be stopping by but he declines to join the activities. He stated he was too busy for a night of movies."

"Oh well, did Tony order a cake for me?"

"No, Miss Potts took care of that, she knew Tony would go overboard."

Tamara began to pull out pots and pans to make dinner. She wasn't surprised when Bruce came to join her in the kitchen but he didn't bother her. Instead he began to prepare the salad for dinner. Tasha came in long enough to snag some sodas.

"How much longer until supper, the natives are getting restless."

"The lasagna has another 20 minutes, when will Thor get here?"

Bruce chased Tamara off to her room to relax, promising not to let the lasagna burn or to let Thor at it early. Tamara ducked into her room and shed her clothes as JARVIS filled the bath for her. She had purchased a new dress just for today, for once she was willing to shed her tomboy side. As she relaxed in the huge tub, she thought about how much had changed for her in less than a year. No longer did she sleep in a hammock and struggle to survive, now she had a bedroom bigger than her old shack and each day was a blessing. When JARVIS informed her of the time, she reluctantly left the warm bath and dried off, then slipped the dress on. After applying a touch of makeup, she decided to go barefoot, after all, she didn't plan to leave the tower tonight.

She knew the others were already in the seldom used dining room and she heard JARVIS announce that she was on her way to join them. The lights went out and she stifled a laugh, that had to be Tony's idea of a surprise party. As she pushed the door open, the lights came back on and she stood there stunned to see Jake standing before her. He escorted her to the head of the table and everyone waited for her to start filling her plate before they dug in as well. As they finished dinner and moved into the living room, Director Fury stopped by with a envelope.

"Open it when you're alone, if you're still sure you want this. I never did thank you properly for Clint, he's one of my best people."

Before Tamara could thank him, Director Fury walked over to Tasha and soon Clint joined them, the three of them talking in hushed tones. He only stayed a few minutes before leaving and Tamara had a feeling that Clint and Tasha would be leaving on a mission soon. She stared down at the envelope, then tucked it away to open later, she just hoped the others would understand.

Tasha was the first to bring a gift over, handing her a small package, followed by Clint with another gift. As she opened their gifts, she wasn't surprised by the weapons she was given, she'd kinda expected it from the two of them. When she opened Tony's gift though, her eyes lit up.

"You finished them, really, wow."

"Last night, Pepper already has hers, and I've got mine. We just need to come up with something obscure to use as a code to signal when to activate the communications. Otherwise, all they'll do is allow JARVIS to remotely track us and our vitals. And thanks to you, I even solved the problem of a set for Hulk. Happy Birthday, now you don't have to worry about losing any of us, we can always find each other now. Well, except for Thor, I didn't have a way to test them in Asgard, sorry."

Bruce was next but told her his gift was already down in her greenhouse, he'd found some exotic plants for her collection. Steve gave her more art supplies, knowing how much she enjoyed her time sketching and how quickly she ran through materials. Pepper's gift had been to bring Jake up for her birthday while Jake presented her with a small box. When she opened it, she couldn't hide her tears, for Jake had taken the canine teeth from Amber and had them mounted in silver to form a pair of earrings.

"I know how much she meant to you, I thought you'd like something to remember her by. Michael made the setting for them as his gift to you. And I have something else, but it's not from me, I've been holding onto this for years, waiting for today."

Jake handed her a thin envelope, as she turned it over, she recognized the flowing script as her grandmother's writing. She was so stunned, she collapsed numbly onto the couch, clutching the letter in her lap. As she stared at the envelope, she felt her hands begin to shake and she knew she needed to get away. She needed to be alone to read this, but she'd save it for later. She looked up to see Jake watching her, concerned that he had caused her pain on what should be a happy day.

"I'm fine Jake, I just..I can't read it now, later, when I'm alone, but not now. But thank you, for keeping this safe for me all these years."

"It was her last request to me, to save the letter for you and only give it to you on your 18th birthday. She told me that she hoped you'd forgive her for what she did and that you'd understand why once you read the letter. I don't know what she meant by that, only that she was a lot stronger than people thought she was, she was very respected among your people."

Tamara got up, grabbing the envelope from Director Fury and made her way to her bedroom. She placed the letter in the top of her grandmother's jewelry box under her pillow, then curled up on her bed. She stayed there in the dark for several minutes, trying to fight back the tears she felt brimming in her eyes. Just as she could fight them back no longer, she felt strong hands pull her upright and she realized that Steve had come looking for her. He didn't say anything, just held her as she cried for the family that had been taken from her and left her alone for years. After she could cry no more, he went to the bathroom and came back with a wet washcloth. He handed it to her and watched as she wiped her face, removing all traces of her tears but not concealing her puffy eyes.

"Shh, it'll be OK Tam, you're not alone anymore, you've got us now. You ready to go back out and join the others? Thor is anxious to give you his gift but says he put it in the media room to keep it safe."

Tamara nodded her head and followed Steve back out of her room and into the media room. She saw her favorite blanket piled up in her usual spot and started to remove it when she realized she was looking into a pair of tiny violet eyes. Reaching into the blanket, she pulled out a tiny kitten, almost a silvery color with slightly darker coloring making it resemble a Siamese. She heard the others behind her and she turned around, holding the kitten close to her heart.

"Do you like it Tamara? She is an orphan and my mother said I could bring her to you as a gift. My father's wolves do not care much for cats. I know you miss the great cat you had before we met, and although this little one will never grow that large, she is a fitting companion for a lady warrior like yourself."

Everyone was shocked that Thor had brought an animal into the tower but it was Pepper who reacted first.

"Just how big will it get Thor, are we talking wild animal here?''

"No, not at all, in the wild they grow to be around 40 lbs, but ones that were raised with an Asgardian are a little larger, around 50 lbs. She has a natural glamor that will make her appear as a normal cat to those who she does not know. You don't have to allow her to bond, but if you chose to do so, she will be able to understand your thoughts and you will be able to see through her eyes."

"Bond, I don't understand, how, what?"

"Simply allow her to taste your blood, all it takes is a pinprick and she will be bonded to you. It is much like the bond my father shares with his ravens, but in you we believe it will be weaker since you are not of Asgard. You will need to keep her close to you for 2 weeks while the bond strengthens but after that, only death will separate you."

Tony started to tell Thor to take it back, that he didn't want animals in his tower but he saw the look in Tamara's eyes as she held the tiny creature. "So a girl, she'll need a name then."

"I'll call her Ming Toi, after the cat my grandparent's had when I was a baby. She looks just like a lilac Siamese, only with long hair. Thank you Thor, I love her, now, what do I feed her?"

"She is old enough to begin solid food but she would still take a bottle if offered. They eat lots of cooked meat but many actually enjoy vegetables as well. My mother sent instructions on how to make milk here taste more like what she needs. But she included a small bottle as well, just give it to her warm."

Tamara curled up on the loveseat, and found the bottle sitting beside it. As she cradled the kitten, she felt Steve sit beside her. The others all took their usual spots as Tamara had JARVIS start the movie. But even Tony kept glancing back, as he watched her feed the kitten, he had to admit, it did look cute and it did make her happy.

"Thank you for letting me keep her Tony. And I'll understand if anyone wants to skip the movie, I'm just feeling nostalgic today and wanted to see something I haven't watched since my dad died. This is the only movie my grandparents went on a date to see, they were 18 and he proposed a week later."

Nobody laughed when Disney's Aristocats began to play, they just enjoyed it, knowing it brought back happy memories for Tamara. Once that movie was done, she opted for something more modern, choosing Avatar. She knew that Tony and Bruce would appreciate the computer work while Steve would appreciate the artistry that went into creating the world of Pandora. As for Clint and Tasha, well they both liked a good fight. Thor, well she figured he would enjoy the mythology of Pandora, she just loved the idea behind the movie _"all life is connected"_. She couldn't explain why it touched her so strongly but no other movie ever had the same effect on her that this movie did.


	2. Choices to Make

When the movie ended, she said goodnight to everyone and headed off to her room. She had told them she would be gone when they got up in the morning and would not return until Tuesday so she would have time to be alone. She had a bag packed already but she didn't want to take her grandmother's letter away with her, it was too precious. She picked up Toi and the letter, then headed for the roof to read it in peace.

_My dearest Tamara, I wish that life had turned out different for you, that I was there to guide you on this night but I know now that I can't be there. There are things about you that your grandfather taught you to keep hidden, but there were things about my family that he never knew. When your sister died, I was forced to put bindings on your powers for you were too young to know when to stop. I know that by the day you turn 18, you will have found a new family to care for. And it is up to you to release the power within you. You have a rare gift among our people, and it will be needed in the years to come. You should know that our family has been protecting our home since the gods left this world. Now we are needed more than ever. You must watch for the archer, the spider, the god, the golem, the giant and the ice man and join them in protecting this world. There is a hidden compartment in my jewelry box, open it and remove the anthame and vial of powder concealed within. You will also find a spell that can be used to release the power within you. This year, your birthday falls on the awakening moon, this is a powerful day for our people. Gather a single hair from each of those you call family and burn them with the herbs listed. Combine those ashes with the ones from the vial in a glass of red wine and drink it. If you chose to do this, you will be able to locate them no matter where they may be, so long as they live. The choice is yours, to accept this burden or not, but no matter what you choose, tonight will be the last that your sister will be with you. You are a daughter of EIR, it is your duty, as it has always been for the women in our family._

Tamara wasn't sure what to think so she reread the letter several times, then decided to check out the jewelry box. Sure enough, she found the secret compartment and the anthame and vial. She also found the instructions for the spell and another envelope "to be read if you accept your burden". Tamara didn't really need to think about it, she knew her answer. After finding out from JARVIS that the others were all still watching movies, she snuck into their bedrooms and managed to locate a single hair from each of them. She then slipped down to the greenhouse and retrieved the herbs she needed, along with a chalice and a bowl to burn everything. Her final stop was to get a small amount of wine before she slipped off to the roof.

Once she reached the roof, she set everything out, removing anything that contained knots or bindings. She then burned the herbs as directed and mixed the ash into the wine, before adding the powder from the vial. She studied the chalice, wondering if it should bubble or something like in a cartoon, then she downed it quickly before she had a chance to change her mind. She felt the hot liquid burn as it slid down her throat and she released an involuntary gasp at the heat. She didn't feel any different so she just shrugged it off and returned to her room. She started to hide the anthame but instead she was reluctant to have it leave her sight. She held it lightly in one hand with Toi curled in her lap, then she nicked her finger and watched as blood welled on the tip. Toi watched, bright-eyed, then began to lick at the wound and Tamara felt her world shift.

When Tamara woke it was almost dawn and Toi was curled up with her head resting on Tamara's neck. Someone had come in during the night because she had a blanket thrown over her. As she sat up, she tried to move Toi without waking her, but failing to do so. The kitten let out a squeak and Tamara understood she was hungry so she headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for both of them. She fed Toi a bottle as she cooked, then offered her pieces of egg as well. Once she was done, she washed up the dishes and returned to her room. In her room, she remembered the letter from the jewelry box and decided it was time to read it. She really didn't understand much, just that her gifts would be much stronger than they had been before. She discovered that the vial had contained ashes from members of her family with gifts for over 200 years and that by drinking those ashes, it was possible she could develop those gifts, not a guarantee, just a possibility. The most troubling thing through was the explanation for why her family had gifts and why the women in her line were pledged to protect the earth. She didn't know who EIR was, but she damn sure intended to find out.

She heard Tony up and about so she decided it might be a good idea to have him install her new implants before she left for her long weekend. She had this camping trip planned for weeks and she knew that Tony would insist on protection unless she had the implants so JARVIS could monitor her.

"Tony, I wanna leave soon for my camping trip so think you can get my implants installed real quick?"

"Only takes a minute, need more coffee first, meet ya there and Bruce is up already."

Tamara hurried down to Tony's lab with the box containing her implants and chatted with Bruce until Tony returned with his coffee. As promised, it only took a couple minutes for him to inject the implants and JARVIS to test them. When Tony asked her to think of a code word, she said "trúa" without thinking. Tony paid no attention but JARVIS recorded it, so Tamara returned to her room to gather her camping gear. Just before she started to leave, she grabbed the anthame and the contents of the jewelry box, tossing them into a small pouch, along with the envelope from Fury. She loaded her gear into the elevator, then added her weapons before heading to the garage. Happy met her in the garage and gave her the keys to a ratty looking but well-maintained old Jeep, then helped her load her gear before she set off for the mountains and peace.

She finally reached her destination and stopped to purchase a few supplies, she hadn't intended to take any but she had to have milk for Toi. She finally decided she was out and away from people far enough so she began to set up camp. She stored everything in her tent, then headed for the river and some fishing. After catching her lunch, she returned to camp and cooked the trout in the campfire. Then she gathered her sketching supplies and Toi and headed off into the woods. She liked coming to the forest and trying to capture the beauty of the animals at home in the wild. As the sun began to set, she heard a voice complaining "hungry, eat, sister eat" and she looked at Toi in surprise. Thor was right, she could understand the kitten but instead of being scared, she finally felt complete.

She returned to her camp with a rabbit she shot and set it to cook in the coals while she fed Toi a bottle of milk. She'd have to get used to listening for her so she didn't go too long without eating. Once they were both done eating, she decided to use this as a test of the comm devices that Tony had created for the team.

"JARVIS, I want to test our comms, can you read my vitals?"

"Yes Tamara, they indicate you are relaxed and in excellent health."

"Sounds right JARVIS, is anyone else plugged in besides Tony and Pepper?"

"Yes, once Tony explained the devices and why, everyone had theirs inserted earlier today. Bruce is not confident they will survive transformation but was willing nevertheless."

"Great, let them know I'm in contact please."

It only took a minute before she could hear the others in the background.

"Hey guys, not staying to chat, just checking in. It's beautiful up here, so quiet and peaceful and the stars stretch to eternity. Had some fresh trout for lunch and got some nice sketches done. I'll be back Tuesday and I'll check in with JARVIS every night. I'm fine, just ask JARVIS, I verified he can record my vitals this far away, but I'm gonna get off and get some sleep, I wanna try to catch the sunrise."

She listened as the others said goodnight but before she let Tony go, she had another idea. "Hey Tony, think you can make a set of these for Toi? Won't need to pick up her vocals of course but locating her and even recording audio around her could be a good thing. And it's too bad you don't have one made to pick up what I'm seeing, the stars are so bright and clear up here."

"Why not, I'll have a set for her ready when you get back. I'll set her audio to default off unless you decide to turn it on but no reason not to keep her tracking turned on. Don't need any Asgardian cats running loose around here. Vision's a good idea too JARVIS could monitor it."

"Tony, SHIELD gets none of this, this is for our family. I wouldn't put it past them to misuse it to track people like us without our knowledge, bury it deep."

"Good point, I know right where to put it, see ya when ya get back."

Tamara stretched out in her sleeping bag and stared at the stars. It was so peaceful out here that it was easy to forget the last few years and just focus on the last six months. As Toi purred, curled up in Tamara's arms, she finally drifted off to sleep. She woke again in pre-dawn darkness and grabbed her camera. She had staked out a vantage point to watch the sunrise the night before, but before she could leave, she needed to feed Toi. She fed the kitten, then climbed to her chosen spot. As the sun began to peep over the horizon, she sat and filmed it all, including the hawks as they glided past her on the warm currents of air.

She followed this pattern all weekend, the only differences were what she sketched and ate. One day she got a rare treat and watched from high in a tree as a cougar brought her young cubs out to play in the morning sun. Finally, it was Monday night so she again called to check in with the others and let them know she would be heading back after sunrise the next morning. She was disappointed to find that Clint and Tasha were gone but she couldn't wait to tell Thor that the bonding with Toi had worked.


	3. Changes

Tamara just had two weeks of classes left before she graduated. She had already turned in her final assignments and only needed to take her exams, not that they really mattered anymore. She stared at the small piece of metal in her hand, proof that she had made the right choice the day she skipped classes to go to SHIELD. Once she found out she had passed all the pre-lim testing, she had made arrangements to take her final exams and today she was finishing them up.

She still hadn't told the team she had been hired by SHIELD, she had a feeling it wouldn't go well when she did. Once she was done with her exams, she headed back to the tower for a workout. She had spent the last two weeks hiding Toi as she spent her days in class and both of them were much happier when she returned home every day. Once she got to the tower, she grabbed a snack for both her and Toi before heading to her room to change into something more suitable for a workout. When she entered the gym, she found Tasha and Clint were already there sparring. She began her usual tai-chi while Toi sat and watched, then she moved onto some free weights. She had watched at the college as some kids tried parkour and it looked interesting, the idea of using obstacles around you as shortcuts to your goal. After doing some research, she discovered a parkour group in the area and had watched them a few times before approaching and asking about learning. The group was having an intro run today for people interested in learning and she had time to make the session before dinner. She notified JARVIS where she was headed and left to meet the group.

When she arrived at the meeting spot in Central Park, she saw the group was small, less than a dozen total but that was fine. A young couple introduced themselves and explained the basics of parkour and the goals, along with safety rules. Then each interested person was quizzed about their physical activities and assigned a training partner, this person would work with them for at least one week, to help them learn the basics. Tamara was assigned a young woman as a guide and they spent a few minutes chatting, just getting to know each other. For the first meeting, everyone was working in the park and they were surprised when Toi managed to remain with Tamara throughout the session. When the session was over, her partner wanted to know where she had worked before and didn't believe Tamara when she said it was her first session ever. Tamara finally explained she had a good friend who had been an acrobat in a carnival and that she had taken a lot of gymnastics and martial arts classes.

Tamara found the idea of parkour enjoyable but she felt the group wasn't a good fit for her, instead she wondered if she could get any of the others to try it with her. She finally headed back to the tower but she told the group she didn't know if she would return, explaining she would be starting a new job and she didn't know where she might be working. Tamara returned to the tower and showered before going to work in her greenhouse for a while. Tony found her there later and showed her the implants he'd developed for Toi and injected them, then they waited while JARVIS tested them.

During supper, everyone was busy trying to decide what movie to watch that night but Tamara begged off, telling them she was tired and planned to go to bed early. When she mentioned going out with a parkour group earlier, that got Clint's attention. He wanted to know if she intended to continue with the group but Tamara explained that she felt the group seemed more interested in having large numbers on a regular basis over helping people develop their skills. Clint offered to go out with her and she agreed, knowing he would help her improve and push her limits.

When Tamara finally went to bed, she spent the night in restless sleep. Like the others in the tower, she'd have nightmares once in a while but she had learned to trust that JARVIS would send someone to her if they got bad. However, once she had bonded with Toi on her birthday, the nightmares had virtually vanished. The past few nights she had been having dreams that she could never remember so she had asked JARVIS to record anything she said at night and she hoped the recordings would help her remember. She knew the dreams were important, among the Rom, dreams were messages from the gods and goddesses.

The next morning, as usual, Tamara had JARVIS transfer any recorded audio to her laptop for her to listen to later. Tamara then got breakfast and went to her greenhouse to retrieve some plants and supplies for her new job. No one knew that she had actually been hired by SHIELD, but they knew she'd been going out there for several weeks. When asked, at the time, she simply told them the medical staff was interested in her natural remedies, which was true. It was only later, after seeing Clint and Tasha both injured, again, on a mission that she approached Director Fury about working for SHIELD.

Director Fury was interested in having her join the agency, especially since his people couldn't duplicate her results when preparing the natural remedies. However, he wasn't prepared for the bargain she drove. She offered an employment contract, already drawn up, detailing exactly what her job would be and under what conditions she could be sent out into the field. He was willing to agree to her contract, if she passed pre-employment tests with a minimum score, ones he thought she'd never achieve. They set a date for the testing and he was shocked she had passed all the scores. Today was to be her first actual day as a SHIELD agent.

She carefully loaded her plants and supplies into her Jeep, then put Toi into the passenger seat and headed off for the facility, hidden within the city. When she arrived, she was met by two med techs, who helped her carry her plants and supplies inside. As usual, Toi perched on Tamara's shoulder and watched everything. She set up her supplies and she began to mix up an antibiotic salve while the two techs copied everything she did exactly. But they always got the same results, the end product was never as strong as what Tamara herself made. So far, the scientists studying the products could find no difference between what Tamara made and what anyone made.

As the three finished for the morning, Toi meowed softly at Tamara. The two techs thought it was just Toi letting her know she was hungry but it wasn't that. Today, Toi had caught the smell of some of her other people nearby. The trio went off for lunch and Tamara made sure Toi got her lunch as well, then the three headed for the gym for combat training. Tamara was in the back of the room when she heard people begin to mutter. Across the room, she saw Tasha and Clint sparring while a class of recruits watched.

As she was watching, she felt someone grab her in the front, without thinking, she grabbed them and sent them flying across the room. As he hit the ground, she landed on top of him with a knife. "If you ever touch me there again, I'll break your arm and make sure everyone knows why."

Tamara was trembling as she felt hands pulling her off the man she had thrown. She shoved her knife back into the sheath and gathered Toi into her arms. Then she just sat there, trying to calm Toi while the instructor tried to find out what happened. The guy claimed he hadn't done anything, that Tamara had just freaked out for no reason. Toi started yowling and that caught the attention of everyone in the room, including Tasha and Clint. Clint came over and was surprised to see Tamara and he was informed that she had thrown another new agent across the room.

"Tamara wouldn't do that for no reason, you even ask her yet? Tamara, you wanna tell me what's going on, why'd you attack him?"

"I didn't attack him unprovoked Clint, I defended myself. He grabbed me below the belt, if he'd just grabbed my ass, that's one thing, but he didn't. He grabbed, I reacted, check the cameras, you'll see."

Tamara got up and walked out of the room, ignoring the agent who was in charge of the new recruits, and headed back towards the lab. Less than an hour later, that's where Clint and Tasha found her.

"We checked the tapes, he's also getting sent somewhere nice and cold. When were you going to tell us you joined SHIELD, you know how we feel about them."

"I'll explain tonight at supper, please, I just want to go home and get a shower."

Tasha hugged Tamara and led her out to her Jeep, then drove her home. She watched as Tamara went to her room, then she heard the shower begin. As Tamara showered, Clint got back and the two of them rounded up everyone and told them what happened at SHIELD. Everyone was furious but they were interrupted by a call from Director Fury, who apologized and informed them the man had already been shipped out to an Arctic research station.


	4. Confessions

A/N - Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

When Tamara got out of the shower and into clean clothes, she headed for the kitchen for a soda. She wasn't surprised to see everyone, even Pepper, waiting for her in the living room. She knew they would be upset but she didn't expect to have to face them all together. Not surprisingly, it was Pepper who brought the subject up.

"You wanna explain exactly what you were doing at SHIELD? We know you weren't there just to help out with your remedies either. You were there doing combat training with a class of new recruits, why?"

"I didn't say anything because I knew you'd all be upset. But yes, I took a job with SHIELD."

Everyone tried to talk at once and Tamara let them for a few minutes, then she sat down in the middle of the floor with Toi in her lap.

"Are y'all ready to listen to me? Good, then sit down and I'll explain. First, I don't actually work for SHIELD, I'm contracting to SHIELD but I get the benefits of SHIELD training, if I chose to use it. My contract is actually for the Avenger's Initiative only. The only person at SHIELD who has any control over me is Director Fury. The only way I can be sent out into the field, unless I volunteer, is if ALL and I mean ALL, of the Avengers are sent out, that includes Thor. That's the only way Fury can order me out. My job at SHIELD is in the labs, we still can't figure out why we end up with different results in making remedies, even when I'm helping the other people. Anything I make myself is stronger, so Fury was willing to give me a lab and two assistants. JARVIS has a copy of the contract and can verify the terms. Fury and I had a bet, I won so he signed the contract on my terms."

"Tamara, you should be enjoying yourself, not working for secret government agencies."

"I know you mean well Pepper, but that was never me. I haven't had a normal life since my grandmother died. I was never raised to be a normal kid, that was never meant to be my life. I know what I was raised to be and I will, I must, fulfill the duty passed down by my family."

Bruce was confused, in his chats with Jake, he'd never said much about what Tamara went through after her grandmother died. "What duty are you talking about?"

Tamara pulled her grandmother's letter from her pocket and handed it to Bruce. "Just read this, then you'll understand."

Bruce read it out to everyone but they were all confused, although Thor was the first to respond. "You used magic, but why, magic is not safe."

"Thor, all I did was undo what was done to me, the magic of the Rom is old, and not everyone is gifted with it. My grandmother was a seer, a gift given to only some women, that's why I trust her. I don't know where my healing comes from, call it magic or mutation, but the fact is I can do things I shouldn't be able to do."

Now it was Tony's turn to be upset. "How can you be so sure, what does all that junk mean anyways? You're barely an adult, you have no business fighting."

"Tony, none of you have any idea what I went through in the time between when I ran away from the foster home and when I found Clint. I lived in a swamp just to be safe. I surrounded myself with snakes and gators to keep the gangs away until I could defend myself against multiple assailants. You know how old I was the first time I killed someone?"

Tamara was crying by now but she refused to stop. "I wasn't even 12 and I killed two people, the worst part is I left one of them to bleed to death, then I sat on the rooftop and watched. I sat and watched a man die because I drove a knife in his stomach repeatedly. The other one died fast, I cut him across the throat but even now I have nightmares remembering the feel of his blood gushing out over my hand and down my arm. And I have killed since then too, I try not to, but sometimes those monsters would leave me no choice."

Everyone was stunned at her statement but it was Steve who approached her first. He wrapped his arms around her and she sat there crying. Finally she could cry no more and she sat up, she half expected to see that everyone had left, but instead, they were all seated on the floor around her, not quite touching but there if she wanted them.

It was Tasha who broke the silence. "You wanna talk about it? It might help and you might be surprised by what we understand. Clint told us about the kids, from the night he got hurt."

"I'd been on the street about a month, my arm still hadn't healed from where the father at the foster home broke it. Some gang members cornered three of us in an alley, then moved in to subdue us. The other girl got stabbed by the time it was over and the boy that was with her had a few cuts and I think they broke his arm. I got cut several places but not bad since I knew how to defend myself, I was older so I tried to protect the other kids. When I started fighting back, they ganged up on me, I took a knife off one when I hit him and sliced it across the throat of another guy. It only took seconds but in my nightmares, it takes an eternity and I can see the blood spray out in slow motion. Someone grabbed me from behind and I just started driving the knife in behind me, shoving and twisting. I heard people screaming and the others took off, I made the other two kids run to a store, I never saw them again. I went up a fire escape and sat on the roof watching as people came and gawked and then the cops, and the whole time I watched that piece of trash bleed and I couldn't feel a thing. I didn't run until someone noticed blood on the fire escape and started to investigate. I ran back to the swamp and didn't leave for 3 weeks."

Even Tasha was stunned, she never considered that Tamara had been exposed to such violence. Sure, she had in the Red Room but she was being turned into a master assassin.

"I know it was my choices that made those two die. I knew what they wanted and I willingly walked up to them all, just to get their attention off the other two kids. When that guy grabbed me today, I lost it, I wanted to kill him but I didn't. It was so hard to shut off the part of my mind that was screaming at me. By the time I was 14, I was an expert at catching and milking coral snakes. I started dipping darts in the venom, just a couple drops, just enough to make them sick. It only took shooting two people for the gangs to get the message and stop trying to catch me. Then they resorted to other methods, and working the other side of town. But when I was 15, the Dragons sent me a message, they had a little girl, she was only 12, and if I didn't show up, they were gonna take turns with her. I met them on a roof and they had their hands all over me, tied my hands behind my back. But they released her and she was able to run away, that's when they found out about Amber. I remember fighting to get away but it's all so blurry and unreal, like it wasn't even me doing it."

Bruce handed her a glass of water and then she felt herself being picked up and placed onto the huge couch. Tasha curled up next to her with Clint, while Tony sat on her other side with Pepper in his lap. Steve, Bruce and Thor all sat on the floor and that helped her feel safe. Exhausted from crying and emotionally drained, Tamara finally dozed off with her family surrounding her. While Tamara slept Clint was studying the letter, trying to figure out what it meant.

"Hey guys, did you catch this part '_You must watch for the archer, the spider, the god, the golem, the giant and the ice man and join them in protecting this world.' _That could be us, look, I'm an archer, Black Widow is a type of spider, Thor is a god, Hulk could be considered a giant of sorts, golem could refer to Tony with his suit and Cap was frozen. What I don't get is this part '_You are a daughter of EIR, it is your duty.'_"

Thor looked up at Clint, "wait, the letter says what? I need to speak with my mother, this is not possible." Thor went outside abruptly and was soon gone, presumably back to Asgard.

Tony was considering another angle, "JARVIS, start running her family back, through her grandmother, and stick with the women. See how far back you can trace the family and let me know what you find."

Once Tamara was sound asleep, Steve and Bruce headed into the kitchen to start supper. Clint and Pepper stayed with Tamara on the couch while Tasha went to get a blanket and Tony got busy following the computer trail. When Tasha returned with the blanket, Tamara was stirring just a little but she quickly returned to sleep, Toi curled up in her arms.

Thor had returned in time for supper, although they had to wake Tamara up to eat. After supper, they all went to the media room, it had become the unofficial spot to gather when they had personal matters to discuss. Once there, Tony had Jarvis display the genealogy they had been able to compile, using data already available. Tamara wasn't surprised to see that JARVIS had found records for ancestors going back to Tønsberg Norway in the 1600's.


	5. Revelations

Thor sat down beside Tamara and took her hand. "Tamara, I need to know everything you got from your grandmother, it's important. But I may have some answers for you."

"Well, there was that letter I showed everyone, and another that explained how to perform the spell and what might happen afterwards. A bracelet and an anthame as well, why?"

"Anthame, what is that, is that like a dagger? And what does the bracelet look like?"

Tamara went to her room and returned with a bracelet and the dagger.

Thor looked at the dagger and bracelet but didn't touch either. "Can you read what is written on them Tamara?"

"It says _véurr_, that's protector isn't it? The bracelet says_ fjǫr_, that means life right?"

The others had been watching this exchange with curiosity. Thor turned to them "Tamara has my full support, it is not for us to decide her life. It is too late to ask her to change her mind. Tamara, I just wish you had come to me before you did that spell."

"Why, you hate magic because of what Loki did. None of you trust magic, admit it. But I trust my grandmother and if she felt it was something I needed to do, then I would honor her, regardless of the consequences."

"Tamara it is only that we care about you. If I had known what you intended, I would have asked for the dagger and bracelet, to return them to Asgard."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa ,wait a minute, what do you mean, return them to Asgard? Is that stuff dangerous?"

"No Tony, it is not dangerous, not to Tamara. That letter referred to Tamara as a daughter of EIR, so I went home to speak with EIR herself. Hundreds of years ago, my people visited Midgard freely, interacting with the people who lived in what is now known as Norway and Sweden. EIR is one of my mother's handmaidens and a healer. Along with other healers, she resided at the top of a mountain waiting for people who wished to become healers. If they were strong enough and determined enough to make it to the top, they would be gifted the knowledge to heal. EIR only granted her knowledge to women, saying men were too interested in battle. The women she taught were referred to as children of EIR. However, each year, she chose one woman and gifted her the ability to actually heal using magic and a dagger and bracelet as a mark of her favor. But these gifts came with a price, that a female child of her line would always stand ready to defend this world. These women were called the daughters of EIR, even though they were mortal. Tamara's dagger is one of those daggers, over the centuries only one other has not returned to EIR. Tamara has already bonded with the dagger, she can use the magic within it. Only those she wishes can handle the dagger now, it is too late to change what she has done."

Again Pepper was the voice of reason, "What about the bracelet, why is it important?"

"The bracelet allows Tamara to draw upon the life force of all living things on the planet to heal. If Tamara is ever seriously injured, the magic within the bracelet will work to heal her, but she can also use it to heal. It is powerful magic and that is why it was only gifted to one woman each year."

"I had noticed my healing has increased since I did the spell. Toi and I have been spending time in the park, she hunts for injured animals and guides them to me and I heal them. It was the only way I could test my ability without attracting notice. The amount of effort isn't related to the size of the injury either, instead it seems to depend more on the severity of the injury."

"Tamara, you must learn to handle your dagger properly, in both forms."

"Both forms, what are you talking about, it's a dagger."

"In times of battle, you can command it to become a sword, the command is part of the magic that created it. _Mækir_ will make it become a sword and _knifr_ will make it return to a dagger, but remember, it is not a toy, it is a weapon, only change it when you need it for battle. Until then, you can learn to handle a sword, most are heavier than it will be so it will be easier for you to handle in battle. It has been a long time since there has been a mortal champion who honored the old ways. There are others on Asgard who would assist you, the choice is yours. As for the bracelet, you should wear it always, and keep the dagger with you as well, it is shielded by magic but can still be seen, just not by the machines of this world."

"I never expected this, I mean, my grandmother believed in the old ways and I always believed the gods did exist at some point. But to find out my family has been pledged to the service of a goddess for hundreds of years. Now I understand why my grandmother was so insistent I learn the old tales. But even if I had known all of this beforehand, I still would have done the spell. This isn't something I can ignore, it's all about the honor of my family."

"Tam, you don't understand, we don't want to see you get hurt, you should get to enjoy life now, you don't have to fight to survive anymore."

"You don't get it, I can never go back to who I was. Steve, you remember when I asked you why you were willing to risk everything on Dr. Erskine and his 'chance'? Remember what you said you told Bucky? You told him that everyone else was out there fighting, risking their lives and you had no right to do less. I was raised to believe that with my heart and soul, that those of us who were able should do everything we can to stop people from hurting those who are weaker than them. Whether the rest of you like it or not, it's done. If you don't want me to be part of your team, then I'll move out and return to working solo. I'm going to the greenhouse for a bit, then I'm going to bed."

Tamara left the room a bit disappointed, she knew everyone wanted to protect her but she didn't need to be protected, she was capable of defending herself. After preparing more herbs for drying, Tamara cleared a space and set up a low table and began to burn herbs to meditate, just like her grandmother had taught her. As the herbs burned, she began to relax, thinking over what Thor had told her about the dagger and bracelet. She felt the others were treating her as a child and she began to cry again, silent tears falling down her cheeks to drip onto Toi's coat. She was startled to feel a hand fall softly onto her shoulder because she had not heard the door open.

"Tam, _frami_, you must give them time."

"_Amma_, but how, am I dreaming?"

Tamara wasn't aware that she was no longer alone in the greenhouse. All that mattered was that somehow, her grandmother was there. Bruce had followed her down to the labs and gone back to work in his lab. He had JARVIS monitor the greenhouse and it bothered him when he heard a second voice, one he didn't recognize. When JARVIS stated that no other person was in the greenhouse, he decided to see for himself, worried about Tamara. He saw her sitting on the floor, talking to an old woman but JARVIS insisted that no one else was in the room. Concerned, Bruce had JARVIS begin recording the room.

"_Amma_, they don't trust me, they think they have to protect me like a child. How can I make them see that this is what I was born to do? I wish you were still here, I have so many questions."

"I can give you some of the knowledge you seek, but it comes at a price, everything has a price. I can no longer remain in this existence, but I can share my knowledge with you. You will not remember everything at once, but you will remember when the time is right, the choice is yours. Make yourself comfortable, this will not be easy on you, but there is no other way. Never forget how much you are loved Tama, are you ready?"

Tamara laid down beside the table and Toi curled up on her chest. Tamara could feel her grandmother's hands resting lightly on her temples as she closed her eyes. Her head began to throb and finally the pain was too much and she succumbed to the darkness. When she awoke, she was no longer in the greenhouse, instead she was in the room the team had begun to use as an infirmary. She had no idea how she got there but she could hear voices outside. Before she could make out who it was or what they were saying, she felt the darkness begin to fall again.

"Tony, I'm telling you I saw her vanish. There was an old woman in there with Tamara and she looked right at me. She was saying something but I couldn't hear what, then she was just gone."

"Bruce, there's no way out except by the door. Well, Clint uses the vents but I doubt an old lady could get out that way."

The next time Tamara woke, she realized she wasn't alone, but she didn't even care as she felt the darkness claim her once more. Then she awoke just long enough to recognize that she was being carried, she didn't have time to consider that before the darkness again claimed her. When she finally woke and stayed awake, she knew that she must have been out for a few hours, if not more. She was no longer in the infirmary but was now in her bed and someone had changed her clothes. As she lay there considering those facts, she heard her door open.

"Tamara, JARVIS told us you were really awake now, how you feeling?"

"Bruce, what happened, last thing I really remember was being in the greenhouse?"

"You've been kinda out of it for a few hours now. I found you out cold in the greenhouse and took you to the infirmary. After a few hours, it seemed you were more sleeping than unconscious and Pepper figured you'd be better off in here with us nearby. We can join the others if you feel up to it."

Tamara got unsteadily to her feet, as she made her way out of her room, Bruce followed, close enough to catch her if she fell. She followed the voices and found everyone in the media room. When she stumbled in the door, everyone stopped talking and began to move things around. Before she knew it, she was seated in her favorite spot with Toi curled up in her lap. As Steve handed her a blanket, Clint brought over a small table and Pepper and Tasha carried in a cup of tea and a small bowl of stew. As Tamara sat and ate, the others discussed what movie to watch, until finally Tamara could avoid the issue no longer.

"I'm sorry everyone was so worried, if I'd had any idea that was gonna happen, I wouldn't have gone to the greenhouse alone."

"Tamara, what happened to you in the greenhouse?"

"I had some very unexpected company, but someone I desperately needed to see. You wouldn't believe me if I told you who it was."

"Bruce said he saw an old woman in there with you but JARVIS didn't register any other people. Who was that woman? Who were you talking to?"

Tamara looked at the laptop Tony held and saw footage of her in the greenhouse. She watched the footage and could tell when her grandmother had been with her. In a way, it was weird to hear only one side of the conversation, but it also made sense since she had been talking to a ghost.

"I was talking to my grandmother, well, her spirit that is. I needed someone who understood me, what I was feeling and she was there for me, she's always been there for me. I know everyone wants me to have a chance to just be a kid but I can't, not completely anyways, that's not who I am, I haven't been a kid for a long time. The things I've done took that away and I'll never get it back. I understand you worry about me but I have to live my own life and I can take care of myself, all I'm asking is that you trust me."

Pepper came and sat down beside Tamara. "You have to understand, what they do is dangerous. And it's not easy living with them either. I never know what kind of shape they'll return in when they go on a mission, you have the chance to change your life, don't do something you might regret later. Just think about it, please."

"Pepper, I know what I'm getting into, maybe more than any of you. I don't remember everything my grandmother showed me but I remember enough to know that I need to be with the team. Everyone of you have come close to dying before, the world needs all of you and I can make sure that when the world needs you, you're ready to fight. I'm not asking to be a soldier, just to be your medic, so to speak. I'll stay out of the way unless I have to get involved but the team will need me. Look, even though you've all been working with SHIELD for months, most medics are still either scared of Bruce or want to see the rest of you undressed. And it's way more that are scared of Bruce, afraid he will change and hurt them. Don't you get it, you're my family, I'm not scared that any of you would hurt me. Even the big guy trusts me and recognizes me, so I'm safe, no matter what shape any of you are in. I want to do this to help protect my family, I don't want to lose anyone else."

* * *

A/N - EIR really is a Norse god, in those days only women were healers and she was the patron goddess of healers. According to my research, she was supposed to sit at the top of a mountain and women who made it to the top were taught to be healers. I just took a few liberties with that legend.


	6. Team Mates

Everyone had listened quietly while Tamara explained herself. When she was done, she just sat there, waiting for someone to say something, anything really. Steve was the one who broke the silence.

"OK, but you do exactly what we say. And that means you train with us. Thor, you said that dagger could become a sword, right? So we get a sword and you start learning to use it. If you ever get cornered, its best you know how to use a sword so you can take full use of that dagger. Tony & Bruce, she'll need some kind of suit, something better than SHIELD can give her. Clint, Tasha work with her on weapons, she's not bad with a gun, let's see what other weapons she's good with. If you can't agree with this, then forget it."

Tamara looked at Steve and smiled just a little, "No problem, I was going to ask to train with all of you anyways. Thor, is there a way to make it so all of you could safely handle the dagger?"

"I will ask EIR herself, since she created the dagger, she can alter the magic within it, even from Asgard. I must return to Asgard but I will be back soon, I will bring a weapon for Tamara to train with, EIR can provide guidance there as well." Thor walked back outside and soon had vanished, returning to Asgard.

Tamara knew it would be hard to get the others to trust her to take care of herself, but surely everything she'd been doing for the past several months accounted for something. Since she hadn't been able to train like she wanted, she had taken advantage of whatever activities she could, just to keep in shape. That was the whole reason she got interested in parkour, to be prepared to help the team. Lately, when her nightmares got too bad, she had taken to leaving the tower and running loose through the city. She'd take her herbs and medical supplies and slip off to where she thought runaways were likely to hang out. Frequently she brought food and clothing, leaving it where the kids could find it, then picking a spot nearby but out of sight to watch them. In some ways, watching those kids was like watching wild animals, they were so scared and afraid to trust.

Many nights she knew she was being followed, but since no one interfered, she never said anything. She thought it was most likely Clint following her, but since she never stopped to ask, it didn't really matter. She'd gotten involved in incidents a couple of times but it was usually kids playing at being tough guys. They were always smart enough not to try to hit her a second time, but she remained cautious. She knew that with the implants Tony had created months earlier, that JARVIS was tracking her and that if she needed it, help was only a few minutes away. But she prided herself on the fact that she didn't need help.

Before Tamara went back to bed that night, she put the bracelet over her left wrist. She watched as it shrank slightly until it would be impossible to remove it without removing her hand first. But since it didn't look valuable, she wasn't worried about anyone trying to steal it. As she climbed into bed, she thought about the changes in her life. Toi pawed at the blanket, wanting to snuggle and Tamara laughed, then drifted off to sleep with Toi purring contentedly in her arms.

The next few days had Tamara busy training with the team. Clint and Tasha had her on the range, trying out various weapons while Steve pushed her limits sparring with him. At first, he held back, like he was afraid to hurt her but as she dodged him and fought back, he began to relax. Everyone came to realize that she truly intended to stay out of fights unless she had no other choice. It was several days later when Thor finally returned from Asgard bringing a pair of swords. Beginning the next day, Tamara had to learn how to first handle the sword, beginning with basic forms. She found handling the sword wasn't much different than the ones she had used in her martial arts classes, it was just weighed more and was balanced differently. So she began to spend more time weight training, building her muscles to handle the weight of the sword Thor had brought for her to train with.

Tony and Bruce finally had some sort of outfit designed for her, it closely resembled Tasha's catsuit but had a few extra pockets where she could store medical supplies. The fact the material was bullet and cut resistant was not skipped over by anyone. Pepper took Tamara out shopping one day while the team met to discuss Tamara's progress. Although they weren't happy thinking about her in danger, they were pleased with her progress and that she could defend herself if necessary. Tony had insisted on a hood for Tamara, not only would it conceal her identity, he had been able to build in interfaces with JARVIS that would allow Tamara to better tend them if the need arose.

After several weeks of training with the team, Clint and Tasha got a mission and Tamara asked them if she could go as well. It was supposed to be an easy mission but everyone agreed it would give them a chance to see if Tamara would follow her orders when out in the field with them. True to her word, Tamara stayed with the handlers, only showing herself once the job was complete. With Coulson gone, neither of them were comfortable with having another handler but they both had to admit, it felt good to have someone they trusted there if they needed them.

Thor visited several times and once Sif even came with him, Tamara enjoyed meeting Sif as she had heard many stories from Thor about Lady Sif and the warriors three. Even better was when Sif offered to spar with her so she could truly test her mastery of the sword. Although she was not able to land a single blow on Sif, she was pleased that she had managed to keep Sif from landing many blows on her. Thor was well pleased with her progress, reminding her that Sif had been a warrior for hundreds of years and that no mortal could compare with her for experience. After the match was over, just before Sif left, she spoke to Tamara alone and gave her another bracelet.

"Lady EIR told me it was my decision whether you had earned this, it's a match to the one you wear but not as powerful. If any of your friends are ever seriously injured, place the bracelet on them and you will be able to better direct the healing. And there are some things not meant for man's knowledge, EIR told me how you can make it safe for the others to handle the dagger. You need only a few drops of blood from each of them, you need to put it on the dagger and both bracelets, but you must be wearing the one you currently own. You can only use this bracelet on those who you would also allow to handle the dagger, or your own child when you become a mother. You are welcome to visit Asgard, EIR looks forward to meeting you one day."

Sif left and Tamara was left alone on the deck, holding the second bracelet. Now she had to figure out how to convince the others to let her link the bracelet and dagger to them. Tamara slowly went back inside to join the others in the media room. It was her night to pick movies and she had a couple good ones planned. She felt that everyone needed a few good laughs after the past few weeks so she had planned a night of comedy. As she took her usual place with Toi in her lap, JARVIS started The Birdcage, a Robin Williams movie she had always loved. Poor Steve, even though he was learning the world was far different than he remembered, he was trying so hard to understand and fit in. She loved the end of the movie when the conservative senator had to sneak out of the nightclub dressed in drag. As she sat and watched the movie with the others, she could feel the tension in the air ease as everyone relaxed and enjoyed the film. Afterwards, she went back out onto the deck to relax, something she had gotten into the habit of doing when the weather was warm. She wasn't surprised when Thor joined her.

"Tamara, you did well against Sif, I look forward to taking you to Asgard one day to meet the others."

"Thanks, she's an amazing warrior. She brought me a gift as well, more liked delivered it that is. EIR sent me a second bracelet and instructions on how to make it safe for others to handle the dagger. I just don't know how to convince the others to allow this, all of you distrust magic."

"I trust Sif and Lady EIR, if you wish, I will go first so they can see no harm will come to them."

"Thanks, I had a feeling you might say that. It does involve blood magic though, does that concern you?"

"Not at all, I trust my mother and she assures me EIR's magic is safe. But I also trust you, that is why I will do this. Come, let us inform the others."

Thor walked back inside and after a moment Tamara followed him. Even though it was getting late, everyone was still up and Tamara silently agreed with Thor, it was best to do this now, before it was needed. Tony was discussing movies with Pepper, trying to decide on another to watch when Tamara and Thor returned.

"Friends, Tamara needs to speak with us about a message Sif brought her from EIR."

Tamara had sat back down beside Steve and everyone turned to look at her. Although it made her slightly uncomfortable, she knew it was best she do this quickly, before she lost her nerve.

"Sif had a message for me from EIR, about how to make it safe for all of you to touch the dagger. If anything ever happened to me, I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt or for the dagger to be left behind. First, there are different types of magic, one type is called blood magic, it requires a small amount of blood to activate the spell. That's what kind of magic the dagger uses but its more refined, it's more about the essence or soul. This magic would only link you to the dagger so you could safely handle it, it won't harm you at all and you wouldn't be able to change the dagger like I can. Sif had me practice today and as a sword it is far lighter than what I have been training with. I guess you could compare it to DNA matching but it goes further, somehow the magic allows it to recognize the essence of a person. EIR's message said that even if someone was to cut off my hand, for example, and try to use it to handle the dagger, it wouldn't work. I want to link all of you, even Pepper and Happy, but I'll understand if anyone doesn't trust the magic."

Tamara was quiet, allowing the others time to think about what she said. She knew they distrusted magic, after Loki, most people would. But she hoped that all of them would agree, she didn't want to risk losing any of her family.

"What do you have to do Tam?"

"All it takes is a couple drops of blood on the dagger and both bracelets."

"So no magic words or anything like that, just a couple drops of blood? Ohh, let's all be blood brothers and sisters then, that kinda thing?"

Tamara couldn't help but laugh at the image of their little group of misfits as blood brothers or sisters. "Sure Tony, just a little prick with the dagger and a couple drops of blood on the bracelets, but I'll say abracadabra if it'll make you happy."

Even Tony laughed at that, though Thor had no idea what they meant so was a bit confused. He came over to Tamara and simply held out his hand, allowing her to prick a finger with the dagger and then he let a couple drops of blood drip onto both bracelets. Tamara watched as the blood pooled on the bracelets before vanishing. Seeing no ill effects, Steve too held out his hand and watched as Tamara pricked his finger, then allowed blood to drip on each bracelet. Again the blood pooled a little before vanishing. Clint was next with Tasha following him, although she wasn't keen on magic, she did trust Tamara, besides if Clint was willing to trust magic, why couldn't she. Tony not surprisingly, was the last one to give in, he didn't trust anything that couldn't be measured or quantified and how do you measure magic or a soul? After everyone was done, Tamara took the dagger and pricked her own finger again, then allowed blood to drip onto both bracelets. This time however, the blood didn't pool & vanish like before, this time it spread like a thin coat over both bracelets, before vanishing in a quick flash of light. When the light was gone, Tamara noticed that both bracelets now had matching runes etched into them.

"Thor, what was that, what happened?"

"I do not know Tony, I am not very familiar with magic, although, as I said, I trust Tamara and EIR said that it is only for our benefit, this magic can only be used for healing. Tamara, why did you spill your blood on the dagger again?"

"It just seemed like the right thing to do, anybody feel different or weird?"

When the answer from everyone was a negative, Tamara put the thought out of her mind and decided it was time for her to go to bed. Thor however, had a feeling that she had done more than intended and decided to return to Asgard to consult EIR about what Tamara had done and the fact that runes had appeared on both bracelets afterwards.

Tamara awoke with a slight headache, but she had noticed that wasn't uncommon when the weather was changing. Checking the weather reports she found a storm front moving in so she decided to ask Bruce about her headaches and see if there was any reason to be concerned. After all, it shouldn't be normal to get headaches just because a storm was moving in right? Bruce found nothing wrong beyond slight dehydration and pointed it out as the possible cause of the headache. Tamara grabbed a jug of water and went to sit on the deck under a canopy while she watched the lightning dance overhead. After a while, she dozed off listening to the gentle patter of raindrops on the canopy overhead. When Thor returned from Asgard, he found her still asleep, but now the wind was beginning to sweep rain under the canopy. She only mumbled a little as he picked her up and carried her inside, placing her on the couch before covering her with a blanket. When Tamara woke she was surprised to see the sun was beginning to set, had she really slept all day? And how did she end up on the couch?

She could feel her stomach rumbling and the smell of lasagna filled the air so she followed her nose to the kitchen. Bruce was pulling a pan out of the oven as Steve helped by preparing a salad. Tony was setting the table but the others were nowhere in sight.

"Tamara, finally up, you feeling any better, Bruce told us about your headache earlier."

"Yeah Tony, how'd I get inside, last thing I remember is watching the storm from the deck."

"Thor found you asleep when he got back, the wind was picking up so he brought you inside so you wouldn't get wet. I've had JARVIS monitoring you but since you just seemed to be sleeping, we figured we'd leave you alone. Have a seat and fix a plate before Thor gets up here, we sent him to get Clint and Tasha from the gym."

Tamara pulled a chair out and sat down and Steve put a plate of lasagna before her, along with a bowl of salad. Bruce placed a pitcher on the table and she poured a glass, noticing that the team had gotten into the habit of serving sweet tea with meals and knowing it was because she was always drinking it. She downed the glass quickly and poured another, and almost finished it off before she realized the guys were staring at her. Embarrassed, she sat the glass down but refilled it anyways. "Guess I was a bit dehydrated, huh?"

As the other three sat down and fixed their plates, the remaining members came into the kitchen. Pepper had gone out of town that morning on a business trip and Happy had gone with her. With Tony now part of the Avengers, Happy was more Pepper's bodyguard than his. No one said anything as Toi jumped onto a low table near Tamara and began to eat salad and lasagna. After the months that had passed, everyone realized that Toi was far smarter than a regular cat and so she was not treated as an animal but rather as an unusual member of the family.


	7. When Fates Intervene

After supper, Tamara went to her room to grab a book to read. She enjoyed reading and she had an e-reader on her Starkpad but she preferred the feel of a real book in her hands. As she read, she could hear the others still in the kitchen but she couldn't quite make out what they were saying, only that Thor was involved in the conversation. When they were through eating, Bruce and Tony returned to the labs to work while Tasha and Clint returned to the gym. Steve and Thor joined her in the common area and Steve began to sketch while Thor paced around.

"Thor, would you sit down, you're distracting me. What's got you wound up anyways?"

"I'm sorry Tamara, I just got unexpected answers when I spoke with EIR about what happened last night. She did not have a direct answer but she was able to give me an idea. However, the Norns refused to speak with me so I cannot give you an answer, only an idea."

"The Norns, those are the Fates, right, what do they have to do with anything?"

"For some reason, the Norns involved themselves in the creation of your second bracelet. Since they refuse to speak with me, I cannot say what they might have done. However, my mother believes they used their magic to tie the bracelet to you using the tapestry. Even my father cannot tell what they have done."

"Look, it doesn't bother me, especially now. I mean, the Fates are all about making sure that life proceeds as it should and that the threads of life not be interrupted prematurely or tangled right? So if they did something to interfere with this process, then it would be to offset or stop something that would damage the tapestry right? So as far as I'm concerned, it's all good. Now, I'm off to deliver some more clothing, tell Clint he should stop following and just join me."

Tamara left the room and returned a few minutes later with Toi and wearing a backpack. She entered the elevator and left the building, heading for a spot she knew several runaways had been gathering. As she began her run, she turned on her comm, she was tired of having Clint following her, he could at least help her take stuff to these runaways instead of watching her from the shadows. When she felt her usual shadow, she keyed the comm.

"You know Clint, this would be more fun if we were racing instead of you following me."

"Tam, Clint's here with me, he and Tasha just came back from the gym."

"Then I have a problem Steve, if my shadow isn't Clint then I'm gonna assume he hasn't been following me for a few weeks now, right?"

"Tam, where are you, we'll be there in a few."

"Heading for a spot just across from Public School 111 on West 53rd. Want me to head back?"

"No, If you can get in a secure spot do whatever you normally do when you go there, we don't want your shadow getting suspicious. Clint's coming with me, I want to know who's been following you and why."

"K, usually I just sit here and wait for the kids to show. See you in a few."

Tamara was nervous now, why was someone following her, and more importantly who. She left the clothing in the usual spot and watched quietly for a few minutes as the first runaways began to slip in, grabbing clothing. She'd gotten good at judging sizes on the kids and had left clothing that would fit most of them, even if it was a little baggy on some. She had noticed over the weeks that the kids were sharing more and not fighting over the clothing. This time, she had included a message in each pair of pants, simply saying she was a former runaway and offering them help, along with a way to contact her. She didn't know if any of the kids would take the offer but she felt it was something she had to do. As she waited on Steve and Clint, she noticed the kids were scattering, grabbing the bag and running.

She could hear the sounds of a fight and gunshots and she became concerned about the kids. "Guys, how close are you, something's going on nearby, these kids are running scared. I just heard several gunshots on the next block."

"Stay put, we're three blocks away."

"As long as none of these kids get hurt, I'll wait. But you better hurry because its getting closer."

It was only a couple of minutes later that she could hear Steve's bike as he approached. It got quiet as she waited but soon she heard Steve call her over the comm.

"Tam, where are you, are you safe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm on a roof across from the school. But I can see guys with guns headed this way, they're looking for someone but it ain't me. Shit, sorry Steve."

"Tam, Tam..."

Tamara didn't answer Steve because she had seen one of the goons with a gun grab a teen hiding in the bushes. When he pointed the gun at the frightened girl, Tam didn't stop to think as she jumped off the roof. Landing behind the man, she startled him and he turned and pointed the gun at her.

"Let her go now."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm nobody special, just like her. She's just a scared kid, let her go, she's not a threat to you." As Tamara talked, she edged closer to the man, a few more steps and she could attack. She knew Steve could still hear her and hoped he or Clint was close enough to help. Dropping her hands to her sides, she bent her knees slightly, unconsciously making herself appear less dangerous. The goon shoved the girl towards her and then pointed his gun at both of them. Tamara steadied the girl and gently pushed her back, watching the man's eyes, knowing he would telegraph his intentions. When he glanced towards the girl, Tam leaped for him, coming up in a roll and sweeping his leg to knock him down. She heard the gun go off but didn't stop moving, knowing it would be harder to hit her. She maneuvered them so his back was towards the girl and her own back was to the wall of the school.

"Looks like you're trapped, pretty little thing like you, too bad."

From the shadows behind the man, they both heard a voice, "Don't count on it."

Tamara didn't recognize the voice so she knew it wasn't Clint or Steve. She was not prepared to see a man dressed all in red step out, holding a staff.

"You.., OK, OK, don't hurt me, I'll leave her alone, just let me go please." The goon dropped the gun carefully and pushed it away from him. Tamara was confused, she didn't know who this guy was but obviously the goon did. The strange man didn't move as the goon carefully stepped away from Tamara, only to run into Steve as he fled the scene.

"Tam, you OK?"

"I'm fine Steve, I can take care of myself, remember?"

"Yeah." Steve pointed at her arm, "But he still got ya. We all need backup, you should have waited. "

"This is nothing, just scratch. Ok, I'm sorry but I was worried about that girl, where'd she go?"

It was the strange man who answered, "She took off, sounds like she's about 3 blocks away now, why have you been coming out here, don't you know how dangerous this area is?"

Tamara sighed, why did so many men think being female equaled being helpless. "Are you the one that's been following me?"

"Nope, you picked that tail elsewhere, he doesn't usually hang around this area, more of a Queens man."

Another voice sounded from above, "Very funny Red, and you should really introduce yourself to them. Not everyone knows you like some of us do."

Steve and Tamara both looked up, surprised to see a man hanging upside down on the wall of the school. It only took Tamara a second to realize who it was, "Spider-man, you're the one that's been following me?"

"We'll meet you back home Clint, found out who was following her, I'll explain when we get back."

"K, Don't be long, don't want the others to worry too much." Tamara hadn't seen Clint but she knew he must have been close, she just hoped he either didn't see her arm or that he wouldn't say anything to the others.

"Guilty, but only after you popped up in Queens. I was curious, not many people go out and parkour in the middle of the night, you're good too. I followed you home one night, then when I realized what you were doing some nights, I kinda took to watching out for ya, not in a creepy stalker way though. Oh yeah, Red here is better known as Daredevil, this is his area, you'll find him wherever the trouble is. I'm usually in Queens and there are a few more of us out here, everyone has their own little corner of the apple. Hey, what's that glow on your wrists?"

Tamara looked down and noticed that both bracelets had a slight glow, when she studied them closer, she saw that a matching pair of runes was where the glow was emanating from. "Huh, guess now we know what the runes are for. Gimme a sec." Tamara placed her right hand over the wound on her arm, closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hand glowed softly for a few seconds and when she moved it, the bullet wound was gone, leaving just a small scar. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a couple Pixie Stix, downing them quickly.

"Neat trick, can you just heal yourself or anyone, how hard is it, how do you do it?"

"Um, well I can heal anyone but I usually save it for major stuff. I'd just rather not have Bruce get upset though. How hard depends on how bad the injury is and I really can't explain how I do it. I'm a mutant and that's my power, healing. Hey, where'd the other guy go?"

"Red, oh he's not much for socializing. But he's around, lives around here somewhere but I don't know who he really is although he admitted to knowing who I am. I gotta go, maybe I'll see ya around Queens." With that statement, Spider-man was gone.

Tamara looked at Steve and shrugged, "What, I tried to stay out of it. There's really no reason to tell Bruce or Tony about this right?"

"They know we left because you were being followed, c'mon and I'll give you a lift. I won't say anything about you getting shot, we'll just tell them it was Spider-man and he was curious because he saw you doing parkour, that's the truth anyways, part of it at least."

Tamara followed Steve back to his bike and climbed on behind him, Toi curled up between them. Neither said a word until they got back when Steve pointed to her arm. "Might wanna wash the blood off, at least you were wearing a short sleeve shirt."

Tamara stopped by the ladies room and washed the blood off her arm, glad Steve was understanding. It wasn't like she was lying, she just didn't see the need to worry the others over something trivial. She found Steve was waiting for her at the elevator and neither spoke on the ride up. When she exited the elevator, she headed for the kitchen and a glass of cold tea, then fixed Steve a glass of ice water. Carrying both, she walked back into the main room where she knew everyone was waiting for her. She handed Steve the glass of ice water, then sat down as Tony stared at her.


	8. Shadows Revealed

"So did he tell you who was following me?"

"No, just that you were safe. That doesn't mean I'm happy, now you've got him acting normal, keeping secrets."

Tamara giggled, "Sorry Tony, it's not a secret though. Turns out it's been Spider-man following me. Sometimes when I can't sleep I would go out and do parkour around the city. He saw me one night when I was in Queens and got curious. Said he followed me back here and when he realized where I lived he started watching out for me."

"So who was the guy in red?"

"Red, oh Spider-man said he goes by Daredevil. Apparently there are a few others out there but he didn't give any other names, just that they all have their own little corner of the apple. I guess he means an area they cover, you know, like cops. It'd be interesting to meet the others, or at least find out who they are. Kinda nice to know that it's not just you guys and the X-Men trying to save the world from itself. Never mind, I'm rambling, g'night guys."

Tamara turned and left the room to go to bed and soon everyone else had drifted off to bed as well. When Tamara awoke the next morning, she headed down to the greenhouse to check some new plants. She had been trying to develop some new tea blends but had yet been able to get the flavors just right. She had been cross-breeding some varieties of mint and had several blends drying. She saw Tony and Bruce busy in their labs but they both looked busy. She pulled out her coffee pot and began to heat water, then carefully added small amounts of herbs to several beakers, making sure to keep labels straight. Most people might think it unusual to make tea in beakers but Tony had plenty so that made it convenient. She had finished testing a batch hot and was waiting for it to cool when Tony came in.

"Morning Tamara, hey you making more tea, I wanna try it first, Bruce got to last time." Tony pretended to pout and Tamara just laughed.

"Try that first mix then, it's not bad hot, might need to sweeten it though. But leave the last beaker alone, it's not tea. I'm trying to make a stronger wash for injuries. You got any of those dried blueberries you like to snack on?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Add about 5 or 6 to that third beaker, it needs something to give it a better flavor."

Tony left and returned in a minute with a small bag of dried blueberries. He added a few to the beaker, then carefully swirled the mixture allowing the flavors to blend. Pouring a small amount into a cup, he took a sip, then filled his cup. "I like this blend with the blueberries, make me a jar, I wanna keep it down here."

Tamara nodded, then made sure everything was turned off. Grabbing the dried mixes, she headed upstairs ready for breakfast. Steve was making pancakes so she grabbed eggs and began to make omelettes for everyone. She tried to keep a variety of supplies ready in the fridge and as everyone filed into the kitchen, she started cooking. It was nice to have other people to cook for, and to cook with. Pulling out the spice rack, she began tossing things into a bowl before pouring the first mix into a pan to cook. Grabbing a container of sausage, she started it browning while she scrambled up eggs. She pulled tortillas and flat-bread out of the fridge, ignoring the strange looks she got.

"What are you doing with that, this is breakfast."

"I know, but I just get the feeling we need it quick today, don't know why. Besides, have you ever tried flat-bread breakfast sandwiches or breakfast burritos? Pile some of the egg mix on either one, add some veggies and cheese, then top with sauce."

As she cooked, she was piling tortillas on a plate with eggs and sausage, then she covered them in cheese. She shoved the plate into the microwave as she finished filling another bowl with scrambled eggs. When the microwave beeped, she pulled the plate out and covered the tortillas with taco sauce. Rolling one up, she took a bite, savoring the taste.

Thor watched as he ate a Pop-Tart, then he piled a shell like she had and rolled it up. "I like this, not as much as Pop-Tarts but it is good."


	9. Tamara's First Mission

Tamara had finished off two tortillas and was melting cheese on the third when JARVIS interrupted them.

"Sir, Director Fury is calling."

"Put him on, morning director."

"I need all of you ready to leave in 15 minutes. The military has lost contact with a munitions factory in Virginia. There was a short message about armed men about 30 minutes ago but we have nothing beyond that. They produce propellants, rocket fuels and explosives, the only facility we still have doing this. We have the military evacuating the town, we need you to find out who's responsible and stop them."

"What about Tamara?"

"Since I'm activating the team, that means she goes too. As far as anyone knows, she's on lock-down there at the tower for her safety until you return. Better come up with a name quick, you have 10 minutes until the chopper arrives."

As Tamara headed for her room, she realized she'd never thought about a code name. Everyone knew who the others were but part of her deal with Fury was keeping her identity a secret, until such time as she choose to reveal herself. Once she was changed, and had her hood over her head, she headed back through the kitchen towards the helipad. Toi was calmly finishing her breakfast as she picked the cat up.

Toi knocked over a spice bottle, _"Name here sister"._

Tamara picked the bottle up and grinned, well, at least it wasn't anything weird. Now, what to do about Toi, she didn't want to leave the cat behind, only she knew that Toi had learned to fight with her and 50 lbs of wildcat was a formidable opponent. Toi clambered onto her shoulder and perched there, looking just like the Cheshire Cat. As the chopper landed, she met the others on the deck. Grabbing her bag of gear, she boarded the chopper but was surprised when no one on the chopper said anything about Toi.

When the chopper landed on the helicarrier, they were met by by an agent who led them to the conference room where Director Fury and Maria Hill waited. She walked in behind Steve and noticed Maria watching her.

"This is a closed meeting, Avengers only."

"At ease Agent Hill, this is a new member of the team. Just need to know what to call you."

"Sage"

"Is it the opinion of all of you that _Sage_ here is ready? If not, I'll send her back to keep an eye on that kid you've got living with you."

Tamara held her breath, did they really trust her, did they really think she was ready. She noticed that Director Fury was looking straight at Steve when he asked them.

"She'll be fine Sir, she knows how to follow orders."

She also wondered why Agent Hill didn't say anything about Toi, then she was when startled when Agent Hill sneezed. "Sorry, allergies, usually only happens when I'm close to a cat."

Everyone sat down at the table and began to look over the briefing. Tamara watched as Toi walked down the table, sat down right in front of Agent Hill and began to groom herself. She buried her head in the briefing, wondering why no one said anything. As Agent Hill began to sneeze, she tried not to loose it but she wanted to laugh so bad. She noticed that she wasn't the only one staring at Toi and Agent Hill and prayed they would be able to leave soon. It seemed like forever before another agent arrived to let them know the jet was ready to take them to Virginia. As she walked past Agent Hill, Toi jumped off the table onto her shoulder, but she felt light as a feather.

After everyone had boarded the jet, and they had taken off from the helicarrier, she felt Tony staring at her. "Am I the only one who sees the cat? You brought the cat. And what kind of name is Sage?"

"Her name is Toi, and yes I brought her, she can help me."

"She's a cat, just a cat."

"Remember Tony, she is not a Midgard cat, she is of Asgard. But why did Agent Hill not see her?"

"That's easy Thor, cause Toi didn't want anyone but us to see her. And right now all of you only see her as a normal cat, not her true form. And Sage was her idea, I needed a name fast and Toi was in the kitchen."

"Wait, the cat was in the kitchen, did you get your name off a spice jar?"

Tamara heard laughing from the front of the jet. "She said it's how I smell to her, she's much smarter than you think and do you really want to see what she looks like. And quit calling her "the cat" use her name. Are we there yet?"

"Sorry, but seriously, a spice jar?"

"That's enough Tony, time to drop, everyone ready." Steve stood and opened the door on the quin.

Tony flipped his helmet down and took off out the door, followed by Thor. Steve dived out followed by Tamara holding Toi and Tasha followed them while Clint set the auto pilot and waited for Bruce. Bruce hated jumping from planes as himself so always tried to go last but never succeeded because Clint always waited for him, ready to act if Bruce froze up. As she hit the ground, Tamara relaxed her knees and rolled, Toi jumping lightly to the ground before they hit. She shed her parachute, then made her way to the rendezvous point. As she reached the rendezvous, she was glad to see she wasn't the last one there. She noticed that from the mountain top, they had a good view of most of the valley.

Tony displayed a map overlay of the area, highlighting the different areas of production. As the others studied the map, Clint was watching the valley, trying to determine where the infiltrators were holed up. He could see several military vehicles lined up on one side and pointed it out to Steve who then sent Tony to get a better look. Tasha and Tamara waited patiently for an assignment while Bruce just sat calmly.

"Got it Cap, looks like they're loading these trucks full of small to med caliber weapons. Enough to outfit a small army, they've got a bunch of people on forklifts under guard. Most the crates seem to contain ammo, not weapons themselves but they have 2 trucks loaded and ready to roll. I'm not reading any TNT in this area so lightning shouldn't be a problem. I only count 50 people here, looks like a driver and 4 guards per truck. Should be easy enough, home in time for supper."

Steve led the others down the hill closer to where the trucks were being loaded.

"Hawk, I want you up high, Widow, stick to the edges, see what you can do to thin them. Bruce, stay here unless we need the other guy, Tamara, same for you. Me, Thor and Tony will hit them from the sides and top."

Tamara sighed, she had a feeling she wasn't gonna see any action but as long as no one got hurt she didn't mind. As she watched, Widow and Hawk eliminated several targets around the edges before the others even got close. Bruce shifted beside her, something was making him nervous.

"_Sister, bad smell, fire, many come."_

"Guys, Toi's sending me images of lots of company coming our way. They've got what looks like rocket launchers and high caliber weapons."

Tamara heard a loud explosion, then the sound of Bruce as he changed. Hulk looked at her and then at the battle below. "Tam stay"

"Sure big guy, as long as I can. You go smash, I'll be fine."

Hulk bounded off to join the battle, ready to smash. Tamara pulled out her bag and slung it over her shoulders, then snuck off a little closer to the action but further away from the incoming guests. She saw where Widow had taken down a few guys so she grabbed a rifle and found a secure spot opposite of the area where she knew Hawk was set up. "I got the backside guys."

She saw the jeeps approaching and taking aim, she fired, watching in satisfaction as the lead jeep veered off course into a building. She took aim again and fired at the next two jeeps, watching as they crashed, sending men and weapons flying. Below her, she could see that Hawk and Widow had taken down several men at the perimeter. People were climbing off forklifts and running, ducking under whatever they could find but none of them picked up a weapon. One idiot tried to drive over Hulk with a truck but he just smashed the hood, sending the truck flying over his head to land with a thunderous crash. As Tamara watched, Tony and Thor were taking turns shooting and swinging at the other trucks as people attempted to leave. Tamara could see Steve dragging an injured man away from a burning forklift and she breathed a sigh of relief, everyone safe and accounted for so far.

Tamara turned back towards the road where more jeeps could be seen. She could hear the sound of machine gun fire from behind her but luckily her position was secure. She heard a scream and turned, watching as a man was thrown through the air by Thor. Tamara grinned but it quickly turned into a frown when she noticed Tasha was limping. Tamara ducked out of her cover and ran over, helping Tasha back under cover.

"What happened?"

"Twisted it dodging a jeep."

Tamara handed Tasha the rifle and took her left knee in both hands, closing her eyes, she concentrated for a few seconds taking time to strengthen Tasha's knee even though she didn't fully heal it. "That'll get you through."

"Thanks."

A few more explosions and vehicles both thrown and wrecked and the armed men were subdued. Several buildings lay in ruins and Hulk had thrown vehicles around like Matchbox cars. Soldiers from the facility were rounding up the infiltrators and tending the wounded. As the Avengers gathered, Tamara had a feeling something was wrong. She was unconsciously rubbing her wrists when Tony approached.

"Where's Cap?"


	10. Buried Alive

That's when Tamara knew, something was wrong with Steve. "JARVIS, where's Cap?"

"His comm indicates he is 20 yards northeast of your present location."

Tamara looked and saw nothing but a pile of rubble where rocket launchers had brought down the side of a mountain. Before anyone else realized what she was doing, she had taken off at a run towards the pile of boulders and debris. "Cap, answer me, JARVIS check his vitals."

"Vitals indicate he is most likely unconscious."

Tamara began to pull at rocks when she felt claws on her arm. Looking down she saw Toi watching her with large violet eyes, dropping her glamour she began to move up the pile of rocks. Tamara followed her, knowing that anywhere Toi could fit in this form, she could as well. She could hear the others yelling at her but she didn't stop to wait for them, she was needed. She could sense the weight of the rocks above her and a couple times, rocks shifted as she slipped past them. Finally Toi led her into a tiny space, pitch black but Tamara could hear someone breathing. Grabbing her pack, she dug a small glow stick out and snapped it, then shook it violently to activate.

In the harsh white glow she could see Steve, partially buried under some rocks. His breathing was ragged and labored so she careful moved some pieces of debris off his chest. When Toi nudged her, she became aware that she could hear voices.

"Tamara, answer me dammit."

"Sorry Tony, I found him, he's partially buried under some boulders and debris at the opening to what appears to be a small cave. But this is like a pile of pickup stix, move the wrong piece and its gonna collapse on us. I don't know if I can move everything and I'm not leaving him. I'm sending Toi back out so I have more room, keep her out there."

"What kind of shape is he in?"

"He's unconscious, breathing easier since I got some debris off his chest. He's bleeding a couple places, looks like bullet wounds. You need to hurry and get him outta here, I'm worried about his ribs, I had to move some large pieces off his chest."

Tamara began to hear more noise outside and she hoped the others could move the rocks quickly. She saw his shield lying nearby so she grabbed it and held it over him as small pieces of rocks and dirt rained down on them. She could feel a faint breeze behind him and wondered how deep the cave or whatever was. As the dirt stopped falling, she pulled bandages out of her bag and tried to stop the worst of the bleeding. Once that was done, she carefully began to move rocks from behind Steve and dump them behind her. She finally cleared a small hole, just barely large enough for her to slip though. As she climbed over Steve, she was relieved to hear him moan slightly. She grabbed his arms and pulled him deeper into the hole, inch by inch. Once she had him all the way inside the narrow gap, she grabbed his shield and pulled it in front of the hole, blocking part of it. Now she didn't have to worry about them being buried under the debris but oxygen deprivation was no picnic either.

As the glow stick began to fade, Tamara realized she had left her bag of supplies on the other side of Steve's shield. Before she could move the shield, she heard a deep rumble and dust filled the air as the debris collapsed, burying the shield and them.

"Tam, Tam, answer me, JARVIS can you get a reading on Steve and Tamara?"

"The Captain's vitals have improved sir. Tamara appears to be in some distress."

"Sorry guys, we're here. I managed to clear enough debris to get us deeper into the cave, we're squeezed in here but we're mostly fine. Got no light in here though, Cap's shield is near the entrance, stable around us I think but the air is thin, full of dust."

"Just sit tight, save your air, we'll have you out quick as we can. JARVIS, keep her comm open, lemme know if things change. And let us know if their vitals change."

"Yes Sir"

Tony and the others went to work removing the boulders and debris. According to JARVIS' calculations, Tamara and Steve were buried behind at least 20' of rocks and debris. JARVIS estimated it would take another hour to dig them out and Tony wondered if they had enough air. He wanted to blast the pile out of the way but he worried about the stability of the mountain.

Tamara sat in the dark beside Steve, one hand resting lightly on his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing and the beat of his heart. The other, loosely holding his hand while she waited for them to be rescued. She'd never intended to be buried alive like this, but she had lost too much already to risk losing anyone else she called family. She hoped they would be rescued before it was too late, but if not, then at least Steve wouldn't be alone. "I don't know if you can hear me but you gotta be ok, you're family and I don't want to lose you. We all need you to wake up and be ok for us, just say something, please, anything, just don't leave us. You're the only one who knows about the letter from Lucas, the only one who understands." Tamara was crying, she couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone she cared about. She almost missed the quiet voice.

"Tam, shh, don't cry."

"Steve, you're awake, don't try to move around, just lie still. The others are digging us out."

"What happened?"

"You got buried under part of a mountain and I crawled in after you. Then everything came down around us. We're in a small gap I found, you've been unconscious for a while."

"Sir, the Captain has regained consciousness. I'll patch it in for you."

As Tony continued to dig, he listened to Tamara and Steve.

"Shouldn't have.."

"Oh no you don't, you want to fuss at me, you gotta wait till you get out of here. Remember, I'm the medic and I say where I need to be. Besides, what makes you think I'd let any of you be trapped alone in the dark?"

"Not safe"

"We'll be fine, now be quiet and save your breath, the air's too thin in here. They'll get us out, just rest, I'm here."

Tony could hear quiet humming but couldn't place the tune. He could hear coughing and labored breathing in the background and even he knew that wasn't a good sign.

"How much longer Tony, he's not doing good in here, he's unconscious again."

"About 30 mins or so, we gotta go slow, the whole mountain is unstable now."

As Tamara was talking to Tony, she had slipped the bracelet off her right wrist and over Steve's left hand, watching it glow dimly as it shrank around his wrist. All of a sudden, she could feel Steve's pain, feel the agonizing stabbing in his chest as he struggled to breathe. "Damn, he can't wait that long, the way he's coughing I think he might have a punctured lung. Remember when you found out about me, I'm gonna need a long nap when you get us out. Just take us home, promise me Tony. I'll do what I can for him, the rest is up to you." She placed both hands back onto Steve's chest and concentrated on the pain, thought about how his lungs should sound, clear and strong, bones whole and unbroken, flexing gently as he breathed. She felt her hands grow warm and she shook her head, fighting a wave of dizziness that passed over her. She moved her hands to his shoulder, locating a bullet wound by touch, then gently rolled him over to his side, relieved to feel a matching wound on his back. Placing a hand on each side of the bullet wound, she again concentrated on letting her healing power move through Steve's body, mending damaged tissue. She wanted to do more but she was so tired. She returned her hand to his chest, relieved to feel the easy rise and fall of his chest and the strong beat of his heart. She stretched out as best as she could sitting beside Steve in the small space, before slipping into unconsciousness in the low oxygen under the mountain.

"Promise, both of you straight home to our infirmary, JARVIS, send a message to Fury letting him know the situation, we need a ride home from here, get one."

"Done Sir, a quinjet is on the way. Medical personnel from the area are being diverted here as well. The Captains vitals have improved but Tamara's indicate she is most likely unconscious now."

Outside the mountain, Clint and Tasha had moved out of the way as Thor and Tony continued to move large boulders and pieces of debris. A man in fatigues approached the two "I was instructed to bring the paramedics to a Dr. Banner."

Tasha pointed to where Bruce waited patiently, telling the other guy to relax, knowing he wanted to help dig them out.

"Sir, I have paramedics entering the facility now. They've been instructed to follow your orders and not to contact outside parties. Any idea what you need from them?"

"Not really, oxygen levels are low under there so they'll probably both need oxygen and I know Cap was injured so I want a trauma kit ready." Bruce put his hand to his ear, tilting his head slightly as he listened. "Have one of them ready to do a glucose test, find out if they have glucagon on hand, also I want two IV setups ready. Find out if they have scoops, bring them over if they do."

Just as Bruce heard the sound of a vehicle pulling in behind him, Clint announced the arrival of a quin. Tasha joined Bruce with the medics as they unloaded gear while Clint went to make sure the quin would be ready for immediate takeoff once they were loaded.

"Bruce, Thor just found Cap's shield, you ready."

Bruce, Tasha and the local medics moved closer as Thor carefully moved Cap's shield, causing a small amount of debris to rain down and raising a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, Tony moved closer, using the infrared of his suit to locate their two missing team members.

"Got 'em, Widow, you'll have to go in, everyone else is too big. She's beside Cap but I think you can squeeze by."

* * *

A/N – I like to use real places in my stories, in this case, the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford VA. They are the only supplier of TNT to the military still in the USA. One company at the facility makes a variety of rifle ammunition, along with tank shells. And according to the web, it is about 430 miles straight flight from there to Manhattan, so the quinjet could easily get back to Manhattan in under 30 minutes since it can travel at speeds over Mach 2.


	11. Rescue and Recovery

Tasha motioned to a medic to follow her and they moved to the small opening. Tasha squirmed her way inside, trying not to put pressure on either of them. The medic slipped one half of the scoop to Tasha and she positioned it on the ground under Tamara, then snapped the other piece to it. She eased Tamara down onto the assembled stretcher before carefully lifting her end, as she was helping the medic move Tamara out, her knee landed on Cap's right arm.

"Unghh"

"Easy Cap, we'll get you out in a minute"

"Tasha, where's Tam, she OK?"

"She's unconscious but the oxygen was pretty low, Bruce is here. We've got local medics too, Fury sent a quin to take us home from here. Lie still and let us do the work, we're gonna get you both out of here." As she spoke to Steve, Tasha was slipping a second scoop stretcher under him, then she signaled to Thor to start pulling him out. Once Steve was safely out, she crawled outside and joined them. Bruce had oxygen on both of them and Tasha noticed an I.V. on Tamara as she watched Bruce start one on Steve. She took note of the bandages that Tamara must have placed, judging by the dirt covering them. Tony and Thor picked up the ends of Steve's stretcher while she helped Bruce pick up Tamara's and they carried them over to the waiting quin. Once they were loaded, Tony flew back to the tower as the quinjet followed.

Thanks to the oxygen, Steve was awake and he watched as Bruce tended to Tamara. He felt guilty that she was injured helping him but deep down, he was glad she hadn't left him alone in the dark. He started to remove the oxygen but Thor prevented it.

"Bruce says you should leave it until we reach the tower, rest, everyone is safe."

It didn't take long for the quinjet to reach the tower and they were moved to the infirmary. Steve was a bit surprised to find Director Fury waiting for them though, Pepper by his side. His ribs hurt but he was more worried about Tamara. Tasha and Clint came over and began to clean the bullet wounds and stitch him up. Steve ignored them and tried to hear what Bruce was saying to Tony, he didn't even notice when the director left the infirmary.

"Her sugar's too low, only 55, I'm worried about her slipping into a coma. Let's keep her on the I.V.s and give her another shot of glucagon. We'll check her sugar again in 15 mins. Other than some bruises, she doesn't seem to be hurt."

"I'll stay with her, you go check Cap, make sure he's ok now. She was worried about his lungs, JARVIS was recording, play it back for him, and give us a scan on Cap."

An image appeared on the monitor over Steve as Bruce approached. "You look better, O² is almost back to normal. How's your ribs feel, Tamara said you had a lot of debris on your chest when she found you."

"Sir, the captains injuries are healing much faster than normal, even for him."

Thor was the one who noticed the glow around Steve's wrist first. "The bracelet, get it off him, Tamara has herself linked to him."

Steve grabbed the bracelet and tugged, pulling it off and handing it to Thor who placed it back on Tamara's right wrist. "We really need to know more about what she's doing, Thor can you go talk to that goddess again, find out more about how Tamara's healing works?"

Thor didn't say anything but left quickly. Steve tried to prop himself up to watch Tamara better but felt Bruce gently lay a hand on his chest. "Stay there, she's not going anywhere and neither are you."

"But..."

"No, out there you may be in charge but right now you're just my patient. Now lie still so JARVIS can get a clear scan, I need to see what your ribs look like, judging by all the bruising. If you don't lie still I'll move you to a different room, understand?"

Resigned, Steve relaxed as best he could but he was worried about Tamara. She was so young and even though she had been injured when they first brought her to the tower, now it was different, now she was one of them. He was supposed to protect his team and he let her down, he let her get hurt. He was a bit startled when he heard a soft "beep" but it seemed Bruce was expecting it.

"Tony, check her sugar again."

"It's up to 67 now"

"Good, go ahead and give her another dose of the glucagon. We'll keep her on the I.V.s overnight, that should get her sugar levels back to normal. Switch her over to a cannula for the oxygen, leave it at 6 liters though. Steve, I'll remove your I.V. once it's done, how's your breathing, feel light-headed?"

"A little"

"Alright, we'll keep you on some oxygen too for a while then, the I.V. is just to help offset the blood loss. Don't blame yourself, she knew what she was doing. Other than her low blood sugar, she just has some minor bruising, she'll be fine, she even made Tony promise to bring her back here, said she'd need a nap. So relax, try to get some sleep, everyone's home safe."

"Yeah, look you all go get cleaned up, we'll be fine and JARVIS can call you if we need anything, right. Tony, why not get something delivered, be easier than cooking and we could all use a bite to eat."

Tony just shook his head, that was Cap for them. Even though he was hurt, he was still thinking of the team first. But he was right, they all did need to get cleaned up and they did miss lunch. Besides, if he had Pepper order something now, it should be delivered by the time everyone was cleaned up. He followed everyone into the elevator as they went to get showered and changed.

Steve picked up the controls for the bed and raised the head so he could watch over Tamara. He was starting to doze off when he felt something on the bed. Looking down, he saw Toi staring at him with her huge violet eyes. He reached out his hand and stroked her softly and she began to purr. She only stayed for a minute before jumping down to go to Tamara, curling up beside her on the bed. Steve knew he should stay put, he knew Bruce would be mad but he couldn't leave Tamara alone. Pulling the cannula over his head, he sat up slowly, wincing just a little at the pain in his ribs. He looked at the I.V. and debated taking it out, then decided not to, maybe if he left it alone Bruce wouldn't fuss at him so much. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, relieved he was still partially dressed. He got a little dizzy when he stood up so he just stayed there, waiting for it to pass before slowly walking across the room.

Pulling one of the many chairs over, he sat down beside Tamara's bed, reaching up to pet Toi before taking Tamara's left hand in his. He rubbed his right hand across his face, trying to ignore the pains he felt, the numerous small bruises he knew would fade in days. Why did she have to be just like the rest of them, too stubborn to follow orders, if she had stayed put, she wouldn't be hurt now. He sighed deeply, no matter how tough all of them were out there, in battle, when they were hurt he felt responsible. He was the leader, it was his job to make sure they all came home safely,and he had failed again. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, intending to rest for just a few minutes. But when Tony returned, he found Cap asleep, his hand still resting on Tamara's, just like he did when anyone else got hurt.

Knowing how everyone refused to leave an injured team mate to suffer alone, Tony had ordered comfortable chairs for their infirmary, ones you could actually recline and be comfortable sleeping in. Steve didn't stir as Tony pushed the chair back to make it recline or when Tony draped a blanket over him. Tony pulled another chair over so he could watch over both of them, then grabbed another blanket for himself. Before going to sit down, he checked Tamara's sugar level and was pleased to see it was back up to 73, almost normal.

"JARVIS, let the others know I'll stay with them for now, they should sit and eat. Tell Bruce her sugar's back up to 73 and judging by her vitals, she's just sleeping now. Steve's asleep in a chair beside her, as usual, but at least this time he left the I.V. alone."

"Yes Sir, anything else?"

"Just wake me when the diagnostics are done on the suit, let's see how bad the damage is."

"Yes Sir, sleep well."

Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew it wouldn't take JARVIS long to run the diagnostics, another hour or so but he didn't mind, he never could sleep well when one of his friends was injured, none of them did. He was still sleeping when Bruce came back down to check on them.

* * *

A/N – Steve seems the type guy who would feel responsible for those he leads and therefore, guilty if they get hurt. Inspiration comes from the movie scene in Captain America : The First Avenger after Bucky is lost.


	12. Aftermath

It was early the next morning when Tamara finally began to wake up. She felt a weight on her belly and realized it was Toi when she began to purr. As she lay there, she could hear the soft beeping of machines that she recognized as coming from the infirmary. She opened her eyes slightly and shifted, just enough to disturb someone holding her hand on the left. She gave the unknown hand a gentle squeeze and was rewarded with increased movement. She turned her head and saw Steve in what everyone referred to as "his spot", asleep as usual with his hand resting lightly on hers, just like she had seen him do when the others were injured. Tamara noted the I.V. hanging beside him and that he was much cleaner than when she had last seen him. She was so relieved to find that he had survived that tears began to fall, rolling softly down her cheeks. She heard a slight noise and looked up, only then noticing that Tony had apparently kept watch over her as well.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, just, I was so scared Tony, I thought we were gonna lose him. I know he heals faster but he can be killed, he's not immortal. I don't want to lose any of you, you're my family now."

"Well, we didn't. He's fine, you're fine, everyone's home safe, that's all that matters. And now we know to keep a better eye on you if you have to use your gift like that again. Let's wake sleeping beauty and we can join everyone upstairs."

Steve woke to find Tamara sitting and watching him as Tony cleaned up the room. He started to say something but Tamara interrupted him.

"Don't say it, don't apologize for any of this. I knew exactly what I was doing when I climbed in after you. I won't lose any more of my family, I've lost too much already. Nobody plans to have a mountain fall down around them or get a punctured lung but it happens. And every time one of you gets hurt, I'll be there to patch you up, either with my skill or my gift. If it had been any of us under there, you'd come after us, so don't say we can't show the same love."

Steve sighed, they knew him so well, but it was no use arguing, past was past and he knew he couldn't stop her or any of them from risking themselves for each other. He grabbed a shirt that Tony must have brought down for him and pulled it over his head. Tamara started to stand up and swayed slightly. Steve didn't stop to think, just picked her up and followed Tony to the elevator. When they got off the elevator, he found Pepper and Tasha waiting in Tamara's room and he could hear a bath running. He left Tamara to them and went to his room for a shower and then to the kitchen to eat.

A short time later, Tamara was clean and changed into soft comfortable clothes. She made her way into the media room, only swaying a little and found everyone waiting. No one said anything as she collapsed in her usual spot but Steve pulled a blanket over her as Clint set a table in front of her. Tony set down a plate of pasta and shrugged.

"Eat, Bruce said carbs would be best, help level your sugar back out the rest the way. While you eat, I'll talk and you listen."

Tamara didn't pick up the plate "Are you mad?"

"Hell yes we're mad, none of us had any idea what you were doing when you climbed in after Steve. Don't ever take off like that again, just tell us, anyone what you're doing. And that bracelet thing, don't do that unless there's no other choice. That goddess told Thor you must have passed out or something while trying to heal Steve so since you weren't awake to stop, it could have killed you. We're only mad because we don't want to lose you. Tamara, haven't you realized, we're not just a team, we're a family, and families take care of each other. Even Director Fury was concerned."

"I'm sorry."

"I know sweetie, but everyone's fine. Although Fury did give us a couple new rules for the team, specifically to protect you. Just listen, he's not gonna interfere with you doing what you need to do. But we are all under orders to make sure you are wearing both bracelets if you end up unconscious and everyone will be carrying glucagon on missions. And medical has been instructed that they are never allowed to remove your hood, one of us will always be with you and if for some reason we can't, then he has a very short list of people who will be brought to stay with you. Now, the fussing is over and done, I promise."

"Thanks, for staying with me last night."

"Well Capsicle wasn't gonna stay awake so somebody had to watch over you both."

Toi walked into the room and climbed onto the back of the loveseat. Everyone watched her with a little more caution, remembering how large the cat had appeared the day before.

"So about yesterday, why were we the only ones to see the cat, and how did it get so big?"

Toi glared at Tony as Tamara ruffled her fur.

"Her name is Toi and she understands you just fine. Don't hurt her feelings by treating her like an ordinary animal."

"Sorry, OK so why didn't anyone else see Toi? C'mon, when she sat down right in front of Hill and Hill started sneezing, that was priceless. And Toi came up with your name, and how can she get so big."

"Slow down, Toi has natural magic to allow her to hide, like the camouflage for the carrier. I think when we bonded, the fact she tasted my blood made my mutant side change her a little. That's how she changed size, you just saw her real size yesterday but she normally uses magic to make herself smaller and lighter."

"OK, but Sage, seriously?"

"Laugh it up, she says I smell like sage to her, that's how she identifies us, by smell. I guess it's because I burn sage when I meditate."

"Wait, so she has a nickname or something for each of us?"

"Yeah, Pepper smells like lavender the most, Happy smells like peanuts, Tasha smells like oranges, Clint she associates with lemon, and Bruce smells like mint."

"What about the rest of us?"

"Well, she thinks Steve smells like cinnamon and Thor smells like chocolate. She even has a smell for Director Fury, she thinks he smells like cherries."

Everyone was laughing by now at the descriptions of how Toi identified them but it was Steve who first noticed Tamara hadn't mentioned Tony.

"So what about Tony, what does she think he smells like?"

"Blueberry"

"She thinks I smell like blueberries, seriously?"

Everyone was laughing hard at that image, poor Pepper had almost fallen out of her chair. "You have to admit, you do snack on blueberries a lot Tony."

"He doesn't just snack on them, he eats them constantly, Toi says he even puts them in his coffee sometimes. But at least it's a healthy addiction."

"They're good for you, lots of anti-oxidants, and I'm not addicted."

"Yeah right, then why are you carrying a bag around right now? But don't worry about it, she's still a baby and learning, she does call you by name sometimes but when she's stressed she reverts to calling people by smells. Besides, she only names people that are important to her and me. I just hope I don't have to see the director for a few days, I don't want to bust out laughing in front of him."

"Laughing in front of whom, agent?"

Tamara turned her head and saw Director Fury standing in the doorway.

"Nothing important director, just thinking about watching a funny movie, ever see Mrs. Doubtfire guys?"

"Well maybe I'll join you all then since you think it's so funny." Director Fury sat down in a vacant chair, reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bag of candy, popping a piece into his mouth before offering the bag to Tamara. "Cherry sour?"

Nobody said anything for a minute, then everyone began to laugh as JARVIS started the movie.

* * *

I currently have a LOKI redemption story in the works but no idea when it will be completed. It may or may not be the next story, not counting any shorts (3 chapters or less).


End file.
